I can’t believe it’s already been two weeks since I was in Boston for Inbound. I was ridiculously snap happy while I was there, so if you were following me on Snapchat (username: lcscloset) you probably saw all of my snaps (and there was A LOT!).
I thought I might have been over snapping, but I got such great feedback from people saying how much they were enjoying them. I honestly love getting such fab comments and only wish every week was as exciting as my trip to Boston.
Inbound 2015
So many people have asked me what is Inbound? In a nutshell, Inbound is a mammoth annual event, hosted by HubSpot, that focuses on everything and anything related to Inbound Marketing.
The days were centred around keynote speakers and different types of sessions. I loved the keynotes and spent my time moving between the ‘Ideas & Experiences’ and ‘Hacks, Tips & Tricks’ break out sessions. These were the sessions that caught my eye and that I thought would be of most benefit.
The keynotes from Seth Godin, Brene Brown and Chelsea Clinton were definitely a highlight. It was such an inspiring few days and I took so much away from it. There are a few things that have really stuck with me and that are still flying through my head two weeks later. These are:
1. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
This was one of the biggest takeaways for me. A quote that was mentioned in so many of the sessions I went to was:
“Don’t compare your inside to someone else’s outside”
I am 100% guilty of this, but it is something I am really working on and even more so since Inbound. I mentioned this in my last blog tips posts too (on How To Start A Blog). We are forever comparing ourselves to other people we see as being more successful than us. The main problem with this is that you have no idea what went on behind the scenes or the struggles they had to create their success.
Another problem with comparing yourself to others is that you can get too caught up in what they are doing, and lose sight of your own journey and what you really want. You need to write your story and stop focusing on theirs. Every now and again I think we need to stop looking at what other people are doing and take a step back to see how far we’ve actually came and where we want to go.
2. Procrastination Is The Enemy Of Perfection
This one really struck a chord with me. I am a bit of a perfectionist. When I do something I want it to the best thing ever created around whatever it may be. I was like this with my Ph.D. and I’m like this with my blog posts (especially my blog tips posts). However, sometimes my need for perfection fuels procrastination. The more I think about what I have to do to get the post to the unnatural level of perfectionism I have in my head, the more it puts me off doing the actual post.
I’m not sure if this will make sense, but one great point was that your 100% could be someone else’s 200%, so by just getting your work to your 80%, you could create a piece of work that far surpasses another persons best work. Your idea of perfection lives in your head, and no one else can see the vision you have created.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create great work. Of course you should, but the goal is to manage any anxiety or procrastination we may have over what we want to do, so we can create rather than put off our work.
3. Fear Is The Killer Of Creativity
I loved this… And it’s so true! You know that quote:
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”
Fear holds us back, and it completely suppresses our creativity. But in reality, fear is not real. It is something we create and choose to embrace. Just as we choose to embrace it, it’s something we can also unchoose (is that even a word? Seriously bad english right there!).
What’s the worst that can happen? We fail? We make a mistake? As long as we can learn from these mistakes it will be well worth it.
4. Banish Your Inner Critic
Alarm bells went off in my head when I heard this too. I always say no one ever needs to criticise me because I do a damn good job of doing it myself. If this is true for you, I think it’s another one of those times when you need to take a step back and look at how far you’ve come. Being Irish, I think we never give ourselves enough credit for the things we achieve. Instead we look at everything we still have to do or what we don’t have yet, rather than celebrating our successes no matter how big or small they may be.
5. Are You Lucky?
Or just really well prepared? Did you know:
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”
I love this and it really does go to show you make your own luck!
6. Be Vulnerable & Honest
I took a lot from Brene Brown’s keynote. She spoke about choosing courage over comfort and how if you choose comfort you’re not being brave. It’s so true. If you choose comfort you’re never going to grow.
She also spoke about the importance of being honest, even if it makes you vulnerable. One example she gave was how people (myself included) often make up stories in our head about situations or things that happen, and in reality these stories couldn’t be further from the truth. I thought this was so on point. Think of how many times one of your friends or even a co-worker said or did something and you made up a story in your head about what was going on.
Everyone has things going on in our lives, so you never know what’s actually going on in their head. If you find this happening to you circle back with the person and say ‘here’s what I’m telling myself about what’s happening. Is this what’s happening?”
Like Brene, you might just be surprised at how wrong the stories we tell ourselves can be.
Boston
Completely unrelated to Inbound, it was a very happy coincidence that my trip to Boston coincided with the opening of Primark’s first ever US store!! My levels of excitement were through the roof and I was so happy to be invited along to the pre-opening event the night before the store opened for business.
The store is absolutely huge and the dream of every Irish girl who misses easy access to Penneys. It has four floors of amazing shopping, but the best features have to be the free wifi and plugs to charge your phone… Just when you think Primark can’t get any better they go and out do themselves! I really loved the Primarket area too… so cute!
It was my first time in visiting Boston and I have to say I really liked it. It’s a lot quieter than New York, but I think I needed a break from the craziness for a few days, so I really enjoyed it. I wish I had more time to explore to city and to check out Mike’s Pastry (this place is supposed to be amazing!), but I guess that just means I’ll have to make a trip back. With Primark now in Boston, I have the perfect excuse.
Lorna x
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13 Comments
Really enjoyed this post – seems like a really interesting few days!
What an inspiring post. Love it. Xx
What a lovely inspirational post to start my day. Xx
[…] can guess this is a look that was shot before I went home. Things got a little crazy with going to Boston for Inbound and going home, so I’m only getting around to posting it […]
[…] with this Primark skirt (similar here) and these lace up flats too. I got this skirt in the new Primark in Boston (I spotted it when I was home too) for $9!!!! What a bargain! It fits like a glove and looks so […]
[…] a summer girl at heart. I absolutely adore these check trousers from H&M. I bought them for Inbound in Boston (a gals gotta look her best at these things right?) and I think they are perfect for an event like […]
[…] me because I do an amazing job of doing that all by myself (you’ll know this if you read my key takeaways from Inbound 15). But if moving to New York taught me anything it’s that you have to value yourself and give […]
[…] a few mini breaks around the US (Washington D.C., Miami, Cape Cod, The Hamptons, Fire Island, Boston, The Governors Ball), got to go to Inbound in Boston (this was such an eye opening event!!) and […]
I think everyone needs these little reminders now and again. It sounded like a really great conference. Going to keep an eye out for them in the future.
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[…] Ohio and Montauk), but I’m so excited to finally share this post. I had been to Boston once before for Inbound last September, but I was so busy attending the conference I barely had anytime to explore the […]
[…] I know I shouldn’t, I still do it from time to time. I have gotten better since I went to Inbound last year though (my main takeaway – Don’t compare your insides to someone […]
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